A Night In
by Michi the Mischievous
Summary: A night spent in, at least for Faith and Tara.


Title: A Night In

Author: Michi

Rating: G

Pairing: F/T, B/C, W/D

Disclaimer: Not mine, if they were life would be more interesting.

Spoilers: None that I know of.

Feedback: Don't make me beg, it ain't pretty.

Distribution: Crimson and Clover and anybody else just ask.

Summery: A night spent in, at least for Faith and Tara.

Author's Note: This story is very AU. Faith never went bad, Tara and Willow never were an item, and Tara never died.

"Hey, Babe! Incoming! The rug munchkin got away from me!" Faith hollered, glancing down at her soaked front. Muttering to herself,  
she caught the sounds of the three-year-olds squeals, signifying that the love of her life had caught the toddler. She did a quick inventory of the bathroom; it looked as if someone had taken a fire hose to it. "Man, they are gonna kill me."

"Not if we get it cleaned up before they get home tonight," came soft tones from the doorway. Tara fought down the giggles that threatened at the sight of her lover soaked through. Faith mock glared at her from the middle of the largest puddle.

"Aun Fai' look silwy," giggled the toddler in Tara's arms. Faith transferred the glare from the blonde to the little boy.

"Oh, is that so, little monster?" She growled stalking her way to them. The little one squealed, wiggling his way out of Tara's arms and streaked off towards his bedroom.

Before Faith made her way past Tara, the blonde wrapped an arm around her waist and handed Faith a towel. "You, sweet one, can finish what you started while I clean this mess up." Faith leaned over and planted a quick yet passionate kiss on her lover's luscious lips,  
then headed for the sound of muffled giggles.

Shaking off the effects of her lover's kiss, Tara started mopping up the mess that Faith and Dorian made during bath time. She could hear the laughing and giggling as they played. I can't believe she doesn't think she's good parent material,' Tara thought. She wished there was some way she could capture the way Faith was with Dorian, so that she could show the brunette just how good she was with kids and with Dorian especially. She had tried all the mundane ways; photos, home videos, etc., but Faith just refused to see it. There was magic of course, but Tara wouldn't do that to Faith. She knew that it wasn't that Faith distrusted or disliked magic, she just didn't like magic used on her. Not even healing magic.

Finished with the cleaning Tara came out of her thoughts and noticed the quiet throughout the house. She knew they were still in the house, she could sense them and all she needed to do was open herself a little more and she'd be able to pinpoint where they were. She decided to let them have their game. She even closed down enough so that she only felt them dimly. As she made her way to the garage she added the dirty clothes strewn along the hallway to the pile of wet towels in her arms.

She gave a glance into the living room, not there, and surprisingly still clean. In the kitchen, she set the load of laundry on the breakfast nook seat; she turned some lights on, and others off, to create a soothing mood in the kitchen. Grabbing up the laundry, she turned to the garage doorway and flipped the light on. Making her way down the few steps to the garage she heard a scuffle, but couldn't pinpoint the origin of the noise. Shrugging her shoulders she started the water for the load of laundry.

Out of nowhere two hands clamped her arms to her sides as an almost inhuman shriek of "BOO" filled the air. Tara jumped and was starting a spell of protection when she heard a softer, more sensual "Boo" in her ear. A shiver ran down her spine when her lover flicked her tongue out and caressed the sensitive spot behind her earlobe.

Another inhuman shriek split the air as Dorian launched himself from his hiding spot next to the washer. Crashing into Tara's legs, the little boy wrapped his arms around her legs chanting. "We got you,  
we got you!"

Tara laughed. "You guys certainly did."

"Aun' T, yer na' in yer dos'ume, yer suppossa be dress' up.  
It's Allo'een, member?" Dorian pouted, once he realized she was still in her everyday clothes.

"Hey lil' D, how bout you and me finish up in here so Aunt T can go get her costume on?" Faith looked over Tara's shoulder at the little man clinging to her woman's legs.

"Otay, bu' no lookin' a out dos'umes. Ause you nah in yers an' you hafta be in a dos'ume ta see odders dos'umes." He gave his long winded approval, letting go of her legs.

Faith chuckled. "I wonder . . . wait, never mind I know where he got his babble skills from. Had to have been B, cause as far as I know Queen C don't babble."

Tara smacked Faith's hand. "How do you know? He could have gotten it from Willow."

"Nah, she's not around enough. One has to be exposed to it on a daily basis, for it to corrupt one." Faith turned her back towards the kitchen door and slapped her ass. "Now go get changed. I've been diein' to see what costume ya got."

"Alright, alright, I'm going. Next time you see me, I'll be in costume." Tara left the garage laughing. She could hear Dorian and Faith's continued conversation.

"Aun' Fai you was suppossa shou' "Boo" nah whis'er Boo.'"

"But lil' D sometimes a whisper is more effective."

"How?"

"You'll figure it out when you get older." Faith lifted Dorian up and sat him on the dryer. "Okay let's get this done. So we can see what T has up her sleeve for a costume."

After loading the washer Faith turned to Dorian. "Okay, buddy. Now it's time to get ready." Faith said as she picked him up and entered the kitchen.

Faith set him down on the kitchen table, grabbed the large Halloween bowl from the counter and set it by the boy. Next she grabbed the four giant bags of candy from the top of the refrigerator.

"Aun' Fai can I help wiff da candy?"

"Of course you can, lil' man. There's no way I could do it by myself." Opening one bag she handed it to Dorian, who in turns poured it into the bowl. Once all the bags were disposed of in a similar manner, Faith turned to him. "Now, here comes the fun part."

The little boy looked at her quizzically. She raised her hands above the bowl dramatically and waited for him to copy her. Once he had,  
she swooped her hands into the bowl and started to mix the candy. He giggled at her antics while joining her in the fun. After a little while, and a little mess, a normal occurrence with Dorian, Faith called a halt to the mixing.

"All right lil' D, time to clean up, get this next ta the door and get our movie fest ready."

"Can I carry i' ta da door?"

"Sure, if you're careful."

Faith watched as Dorian carried the bowl, in deep concentration, to the table next to the door. After setting it down, Faith lifted him up so that he could switch on the porch light. "Now, you can pick the order of the movies we're watchin'." Before Faith was done speaking, Dorian was out of her grasp and looking over the movie selection of the night.

Faith surveyed the living room, double checking to make sure they were ready for Halloween in-doors. Snacks and beverages check;  
remotes, check; blankets and pillows, check; now all that was missing was her better half.

Tara stood in front of the full length mirror in Buffy and Cordelia's room taking in her costume. It had looked rather tame in the store,  
but on her it looked down right scandalous. The whole toga was extremely sheer, leaving almost nothing to the imagination. If the skirt got any shorter there would be birds nesting in the bush. The gold clasp on her right shoulder barely held the top up, in fact, she was sure that if there hadn't been a built in strapless bra, the see-  
through material wouldn't remain in place. The gold belt clinched her waist in tightly while accenting the curve of her hips. The criss-  
crossing straps of her sandals highlighted her calves and only the silver crescent moon of her tiara showed above her golden hair. She decided to forgo the quiver of arrows, but she would at least carry the bow for a short time. She inhaled deeply and tried to calm her nerves. This was definitely not a Tara outfit, but Willow had been correct, she was seductive in it.

"Hey, T! You done yet? You're holdin' up the show!" Faith shouted

"Yeah, T, you done ye'!" Dorian copied his hero.

Tara appeared in the room as Faith shot the boy a reproving look. He looked downward. Faith glanced back up toward the blonde, her stunned reaction making the Witch's heart swell with deep emotions, knowing that she still had the power to entrance her life partner. Taking in her lover's costume caused Tara's internal heating system to overload. The sight of Faith in a one piece, full body Lycra suit with a glow-in-the-dark skeleton painted on it was wreaking havoc with Tara's libido. The suit was streamlined with no lines interrupting the flow of it. The thought of what was, or wasn't,  
underneath the costume caused the blonde to blush profusely. All Faith could think of was the myriad ways she could get her lover out of her particular costume. Dorian glanced from one favorite aunt to the other, wondering at their silence.

"Aun T wha' ya suppossa be?" Dorian's question snapped the women out of their stupors.

"Well, Dorian, I'm the Goddess Artemis," she continued at his confused look, holding up the bow in her hand. "The Goddess of the Hunt."

"Wike demons?"

"Something like that," Tara chuckled. "What are you supposed to be"  
she asked the boy, taking in his costume of miniature Doc Martins,  
leather pants, wife beater and slicked back hair.

"I a wicket hot sawyer." He stated proudly, puffing out his chest,  
feeling great achievement in pronouncing his hero's slogan about Slayers in general. Sending Tara into a fit of laughter, which he took as a compliment.

As Tara and Dorian got situated on the couch, she asked "So, how's the movie line-up looking?"

"Well, let's see we've got Charlie Brown and The Great Pumpkin, then The Nightmare Before Christmas, Evil Dead and finally Wrong Turn"  
Faith answered, putting in the first movie

"Oh, wait┘Wrong Turn, isn't that the one with that hot Eliza Dushku chick in it?" Tara asked her girlfriend, an innocent look on her face.

Faith growled, as Dorian staunchly defended his hero. "Aun Fai is da hoddesd."

Tara leaned over Dorian, placing a tender kiss on Faith's lips. "Yes,  
she is."

"Only the best for My Goddess," Faith whispered just loud enough for Tara to hear. Hitting play she added "Let's get this show on the road."

Several Hours Later . . .

As the credits of Evil Dead scrolled up the screen, Buffy and Cordelia entered their home to relieve the other Slayer and her better half, of their son. Willow and Dawn, the other couple of the household, came in behind Buffy and Cordy, only to be greeted by a unique sight. A sight they doubted they would ever see again.

There on her back, with Dorian between her and the back of the couch,  
and Tara half on half off the Slayer on the outside of the couch, was Faith, her arms wrapped protectively around both her lover and the child. All three were sound asleep and looking oh so comfortable.

"Hey Dawnie, you still have some film left from the party, right"  
Buffy asked quietly.

"Yeah. A little under half a roll, why?"

Willow wrapped her arms around her lover and points out the scene in the living room to her. "'Cause, babe, that is just too cute."

"And Tara could use all the blackmail material she can get with that one." Cordy indicated Faith, adding her two cents. "With Faith,  
cuteness is The Perfect' ammo."

Dawn laughed, proceeding to finish up her roll of film on the trio.

END 


End file.
